Psalm 106

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“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” Israel's God is good. His covenant faithfulness and mercy last forever. The people who called upon His Name in ancient days needed to acknowledge these truths. They were to speak rightly concerning the Almighty and publicly embrace the life of committed obedience to His Word.

It was a great privilege to rejoice in the Lord as a part of God's Old Testament people. The faithful worshiper knew that the Lord would “show favor” to His chosen ones, and that He would bring them “prosperity” and “gladness.” God was committed to save those who earnestly called out to Him in worship and followed Him with sincere obedience.

The problem of Old Testament history was not a lack of faithfulness on the Lord's part, but sin on the part of His people. Even though “we and our fathers have sinned,” the Almighty continued to show favor to His beloved Israel. He “rebuked the Red Sea” for them and helped them in their battles against many enemies, “but they soon forgot His works,” and “they did not wait for His counsel.”

What was the Lord doing over the decades of their rebellion? He disciplined His people according to His fatherly love and covenant faithfulness. Think of the episodes recorded in Numbers: Korah's rebellion, the golden calf incident, the Baal of Peor, and constant murmuring against God. The people forgot about the Lord's goodness. They thought more fondly of Egypt than about God's good gift of the Promised Land.

Along the way there were a few who stood up bravely for the Lord and His Law—men like Moses and Phinehas. Yet even Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. An entire generation died in the wilderness. Their children would be given the gifts that they had despised, but within a few years the chosen people would again ignore the Lord's commandments. They would not “destroy the peoples,” but “mixed with the nations and learned to do what they did.” They soon became ensnared in the vile spiritual practices of the Canaanites, even killing their own children as sacrifices to “the idols of Canaan.”

The Lord repeatedly handed them over to their enemies in order to discipline them. When they called out to Him for help, “many times He delivered them,” but they continually returned to their evil ways. Though they had no constancy in their affections and obedience, the Lord always “remembered His covenant.”

Because of the plain facts of Old Testament history, the final plea of Psalm 106 must be grounded in God and His steady character rather than in the faithfulness of His people. “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy Name and glory in Your praise.” Even today, our petition to the Almighty in our time of need must be based on the perfect faithfulness of Jesus and His eternal mercy. We have received the greatest salvation imaginable because of the righteousness and blood of the one Lamb of God. We look to Him again today and live.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O Lord our God, You are good. You show favor to Your people We rejoice in You together with all of Your children. You met us with salvation when we had nowhere left to turn. You made a way for us through the tumultuous sea of Your righteous judgments. You have seen us when we were trapped in the snare of our sins and have provided a way out through the life and death of Your Son. If You were to charge us for our sins, there would never be any hope of life for us. Your Son stood up on our behalf at just the right time. His righteousness has covered over our rebellion. We have been cleansed by His blood. We are assured of Your love for us through Him. You see us even now in our distress and help us through every situation of despair and disaster. Please save us again and again, until we are with You, body and soul, in our heavenly habitation.

Psalm 105

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“Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” Israel had the great privilege of testifying about the glory of God to all the nations of the world. Wherever they might find themselves in their travels throughout the earth, if they gathered together to sing to the Lord and to hear His Word, their message might be heard and believed by others.

God commanded Israel to worship Him. Their songs of praise and petitions for help were also good for their own souls. “Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!” They were to “seek His presence continually,” and to remember His wondrous works, His miracles, and His judgments. As they did this, others around them would hear about the Lord.

The God of Israel was a covenant-keeping God. He had made promises so long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had kept His Word and had given the land of Canaan to their descendants. Though they were a wandering people and few in number, the Lord protected them as His “anointed ones.”

The Lord had sent Jacob's son, Joseph, into Egypt. Through the suffering of this one son the Lord would achieve a very gracious purpose. Joseph would eventually win the favor of Pharaoh and would be instrumental in saving the lives of many thousands during a time of severe famine.

In the course of time the people of Israel were very fruitful in the land of Egypt. After Joseph was long forgotten, the descendants of Jacob were then enslaved and oppressed by their captors. The Lord provided for their deliverance through Moses and Aaron. God worked miracles right before the eyes of the Egyptians through these two men. God demonstrated His sovereign commitment of love for Israel in mighty judgments culminating in the death of so many of the firstborn of Egypt.

The Almighty continued to provide for His chosen ones during their years in the wilderness. He gave them food and drink in the desert. He eventually brought their children into the Promised Land. He did this so that “they might keep his statutes and observe his laws.” The Lord had chosen Israel to be a holy people who might live out before a watching world the wonder of covenant faithfulness.

These great works of God were worthy of Israel's joyful praise. How much more should the church throughout the world praise the Lord! Though Israel failed to keep God's Law, God has provided a perfectly obedient Messiah who gave His life to free us from the bondage of death. The church has been to sent to the far reaches of the earth to fulfill His mandate that He gave to Israel so long ago. It is a great joy for us to worship the Lord and to tell of His glorious deeds among all of the nations of the world.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Glorious Lord of All, we worship You and give You thanks. It is wonderful to sing to You. We seek You and we remember what You have done. Your judgments are wise. You keep all Your promises. You made a covenant with us in Christ, and You are fulfilling that good plan in great ways. You have announced news of a future age through Your prophets. So much has already come to pass, and yet much more is still ahead of us. We marvel at Your works in gathering a people for the glory of Your Name. Even today You continue to rescue us from the sin that distracts and ensnares us. You bring us out of danger and cause us to trust again in Your Son. Be with us as we go through this life. We are looking forward to the coming age of glory. May we keep Your Son’s commandments as we wait for the day of His return.

Psalm 104

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“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great!” The Israelites sang about God as the Lord over creation. He was able to wear the glorious light of heaven as His subjects on the earth might put on robes for clothing. Just as they constructed dwelling places to protect their loved ones from the elements, their God could stretch out “the heavens like a tent.” He did not need to search for solid ground for a secure foundation for His home. He could set up “the beams of His chambers upon the waters.” His people needed to ride on beasts of burden or walk along the road on their own two feet, but their God could ride on an angelic glory cloud! Angels were His servants and His messengers.

The Lord built the earth. It would stand as long as He had determined. He made the waters and the mountains take their places. After the great flood, “the mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that You appointed for them.” He set a boundary that the waters might not pass, “so that they might not again cover the earth.” The land and the wild animals that inhabited the earth received gushing waters that came from beneath the earth and from the clouds above according to the Lord's decree. Even the songs of the birds in the trees were a part of His great plan for the world. The land was brought to life. “The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your work.”

The Lord gave grass for the beasts, great varieties of plants for the many needs of mankind, oil to make their faces shine, and wine “to gladden the heart of man.” Even in remote places at altitudes where man might never travel, the needs of creation were attended to by Almighty God. He held the moon and stars in their courses for signs and seasons. The furthest reaches of the universe were still under His sovereign control. He set up the pattern of night and day for His purposes. This amazing planet was teaming with life.

“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” Our God is not frightened by the massive “Leviathan” of the deep. Such an awesome monster of the sea lives in the environment that the Lord provided for it. All of the Lord's great works of creation on this amazing orb look to Him for food, and He provides. He gives and they gather, but when He withholds what they need, their time on the earth swiftly comes to an end. “When You hide Your face, they are dismayed; when You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” Yet, by His Spirit, He can renew the face of the earth, and bring to life what has long been dead and gone.

The people who serve such a great God should long for His Name to be glorified and for His holy will to be accomplished. Israel and the church should meditate upon His works and call upon His Name with songs of joy. When the earth trembles and the mountains smoke, the Lord is still in charge. Jesus, who died that we might live, has all power and authority in heaven and on earth. He will bring about the fullness of the great divine plan. The wicked will “be no more,” and we who are called by His Name will sing to the Lord. The glory of the Lord will “endure forever.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God of Providence, we bless Your Name. Your wonderful nature is displayed before us in all of Your great works. You have created all things. You also rule and reign over everything You have made. You formed the mountains and the valleys, and have filled the earth with intriguing creatures. You make the land beautiful to look at, and You give us so many blessings to investigate and to experience. Thank You for these daily gifts that are such a wonderful part of our lives. Thank You for attending to the multitude of details that regularly escape our notice. No matter how intelligent any man may be, You will always be far above all the creatures that You have made. We will sing praise to You, and we will think about You with great joy. Surely You are not surprised by the wickedness of men. You rule over all. Blessed be Your Name, O God.

Psalm 103

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“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name!” The faithful in Israel had so many reasons to thank God. Not only could they bless Him for the daily gifts that sustained their lives, but since they were the recipients of His promises, they could thank Him for the life to come. “Forget not all His benefits.” Even if a worshiper of God was struggling with some request that had not yet been granted, he could know that a time was coming when he would experience all of the benefits of the grace of God.

All who called upon the Lord's Name could know that they were ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven. Even in the aches and pains of old age, they could rejoice by faith that their youth was “renewed like the eagle's.” The Lord had already crowned them with “steadfast love and mercy” because of the certainty of His electing purposes.

God would keep His promises that He had recorded for His people in His Word. Moses may not have been able to enter the Promised Land, but he was with all the faithful in Israel who had died in the Lord. “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.” The heavenly Father of the chosen people had already removed the debt of their sins from them “as far as the east is from the west” based upon the sure atonement that would come in due time.

God knew that His people would never be able to take away the stain of sin from among all the descendants of Adam even with their own best efforts. They would not be able to keep themselves alive forever despite their best achievements of science. “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Only through the work of the everlasting Son of God would eternity be won for the redeemed of the Lord. Yet for all who would fear him in reverent worship, even down to “children's children,” the Lord would show His steadfast love forever.

In due time the Lord sent His Son to actually accomplish our salvation. He has kept covenant by His perfect obedience to His Father's Word. He reigns on high as the Supreme King over all. Let all the holy angels and all of His people throughout the vast reaches of His glorious dominion bless His Name forever. “Bless the Lord, O my soul!”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Glorious God, thank You for Your abundant mercies. We glorify Your name. You have given us true love that will never end. You have blessed Your people of old. They are alive now in Your presence. Thank you for the forgiveness of sins. Take away from us all the evil that remains in us. You are full of compassion and You will help us forever. Our lives seem so small and so temporary. In You we will rejoice throughout all eternity. We will bless Your Name in the company of angels and resurrected saints. We bless You from the depths of our hearts, O Lord, forever and ever.

Psalm 102

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“Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!” Psalm 102 was composed as “a prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.” The unnamed psalmist was eager for God's eye to see him and for His ear to hear quickly before his life slipped away. He described his desperate condition to the Lord. His despair was so great that he was not eating or sleeping and his body was wasting away. In the midst of his tears he was aware of the taunts of his enemies who “use my name for a curse.”

Though this afflicted man was very near to death, his confidence in the Lord was firm. He knew that God was in charge. He was aware that he was facing the Lord's “indignation and anger” according to the sovereign purpose of the Almighty. God was “enthroned forever” over heaven and earth, and He would “have pity on Zion” according to the petition of His servant. The nations of the earth and their rulers would one day “fear the Name of the Lord.”

The psalmist asked the Lord to record His words for a future generation, that “a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.” The Lord was able not only to listen to the prayer of one suffering man, but even “to hear the groans” of many “prisoners” of sin and death here below. He would “set free those who were doomed to die.” What would His purpose be in performing such a great redemption throughout the earth? God intended that the redeemed would “declare in Zion the Name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem His praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.”

God would accomplish this massive redemption described so long ago in Psalm 102 through the affliction of His Son on the cross. Jesus would take the “indignation and anger” of the Lord that stood against us and would win our eternal freedom. He would cry out to His Father while enemies derided Him and watched Him die, but then He would rise again from the dead as the beginning of a new Jerusalem—a resurrection kingdom. The old world of the first creation would one day “perish,” but Jesus would remain. He and the people united to Him in His death and resurrection would be “established” forever.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, hear us today. We need You. We live in this age of misery and confusion. We cry out to You all day long. There is trouble all around us. When will You wipe away every tear? You are God. You are sovereign forever. Please come quickly, O Lord. You will build up Your church. Bring forward future generations of those who will serve You. Grant Your people life from on high. Let us live forever in Your presence. You are from everlasting to everlasting. We are safe in You alone.

Psalm 101

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“I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to You, O Lord, I will make music.” Israel was called to sing of mercy and justice, but not just as abstract ideas. They were to sing with a longing for Almighty God. “Oh when will You come to me?” As they waited for the Lord, they made both personal and national commitments: “I will walk with integrity of heart.”

This commitment to obey God was central to the work of a good king. He would not let bad company corrupt his ways. His advisers would be faithful to the Word of the Almighty. Yet every king made mistakes. What king could lead the nation without making serious errors that would compromise the purity of Israel?

The words of Psalm 101 were the heartfelt commitments of a coming Ruler who would rid the nation of all evil. The perverse and the arrogant would have no access to power during His reign. Only the faithful would dwell with Him and serve Him.

This great future King is coming again in glory. He will protect the purity of the eternal “city of the Lord.” Even the best rulers in the past had challenges discerning between true and false ambassadors, but this will not be a problem for Jesus when He returns to establish His kingdom upon the earth. He will know what is in the heart of all who would serve Him and He will always do what is right.

Even today, the Lord Jesus has all power and authority in heaven and on earth. When He comes again with all His heavenly host, He will establish the fullest plans of His Father for perfect mercy and justice. He has already demonstrated His complete commitment to God's eternal purposes by giving His life to save those who would call upon His Name.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God and King, we sing to You with joy. You are a God full of integrity and holiness. We will follow You. We will love what You love. Surround us with the righteous forever. You will surely bring us into Your land, the place of utmost purity and love.

Psalm 100

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“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” Giving thanks to God was an essential activity not only for Israel but for all who would worship the Lord from among the other nations of the earth. They were to do this not because of some grudging duty but with the “gladness” of joyful singing. Through the worship of the Almighty they could “come into His presence.”

Yahweh is the great God of creation. “It is He who made us.” He was not content that we would exist without knowing Him. He formed us into a new people who would be defined by our relationship to Him. He is our Redeemer and we are His redeemed. We have heard the voice of our Shepherd and we are His sheep. He laid down His life for us and leads us home.

The Lord of Israel has a place for us in His house. How can we find our way to Him? We “enter His gates with thanksgiving.” We have access to our Savior as we praise Him and bless His Name.

We do not have to be forced into these activities of worship against our will. We have experienced the goodness of God. We have discovered His steadfast love personally and have found the record of “His faithfulness to all generations” in the Scriptures.

The Lord of Israel is the Savior who died for us and lives again as our resurrection King. We place our trust entirely in Him.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father, the duty of worship is not only for Israel. All Your people throughout the earth should love and serve You. We thank You for Your steadfast love, secured for us in the life and death of Your Son.

Psalm 99

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“The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!” Israel sang together about the glorious reign of the Almighty over all of the nations of the earth. They were lifting up their voices about a future day that had not yet come. God would rule in such an obvious way that all of the clans of the earth would have to acknowledge Him as the King of kings. In that day those who once considered Israel's God to be one among many deities would tremble before Him alone.

“The Lord is great in Zion.” He would rule from the center of His realm, and there the nations of the earth would praise His “great and awesome Name.” The Lord was forever holy, set apart from all that He created. His reign over heaven and earth would establish His perfect justice everywhere. The only appropriate response to the good news of the coming of such a glorious King would be heartfelt worship.

In the days of Moses and Samuel, the Word of God was proclaimed in Israel. These chosen men heard the voice of God and communicated His judgments to His people. The Lord spoke to them, forgiving their transgressions, but He also was “an avenger of their wrongdoings.” Even the holiest of the Lord's servants needed a sacrifice that would take away their guilt.

The Lord God Himself came and saved them. He became man and died for humanity as our righteous substitute. His atonement was effectual not only for Jews, but for all those throughout the nations who would look to Him in faith.

All over the world people are seeking the final coming of Israel's King. He is “our God,” and we cry out to Him in prayer, “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord Almighty, You are High and lifted up. You love justice. We should worship You always. You have raised up men to worship You in days gone by. You are alive today, and You are holy forever.

Psalm 98

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“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things! His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.” The Lord delivered His people out of many difficulties. Every “salvation” that He accomplished for them, was also for His own glory and was ultimately accomplished by His own strength.

The God of Israel did not keep His great saving actions secret. They have been performed before the watching eyes of many other nations. They were also recorded in the Scriptures for future generations. He has never forgotten His “steadfast love and faithfulness” for Israel. Because of His determination to save His children, many other nations have seen the power and love of God.

These great truths were remembered in song by those gathered together in worship in order to inspire them in their devotion to the Lord. They not only sang to God and played instruments for the glory of His Name, they also called upon “all the earth” to “make a joyful noise to the Lord.”

The God of Israel has always been the King of the nations. He would come one day to receive the worship of even the seas, the rivers, the fields, and all the inhabitants of a renewed world. He would judge the earth according to His own perfect standards of righteousness. But first He would be born in humility and would die the death that His own people deserved for their disobedience.

The death of Jesus was effectual not only for the faithful among the Jews, but for all who would call upon His Name from the many people groups throughout the earth. It is our privilege to consider the saving power of Christ through His death on the cross, and to join with the people of God throughout the centuries as we “make a joyful noise to the Lord.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, we sing You songs of glory and rejoice in Your presence. You have saved Your church. All the world will bring You worship. We rejoice before You with our voices and with instruments of celebration. You will surely come to judge the earth.

Psalm 97

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“The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” God is the great Ruler over all. All of the nations of the earth are called to cast their burdens upon Him and to find the joy that comes from knowing His grace.

What will it be like when the Lord of our salvation comes again? He will return on the divine glory cloud. He will come in “righteousness and justice.” The judgment that comes upon the earth will make all the inhabitants of the nations tremble. “Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries all around.” All of the inhabitants of the world will see Him and be afraid. Even the mountains will “melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.”

Psalm 97 was in Israel's songbook. The Old Testament people of God sang about future events that are far nearer to us now than they were to them so long ago. Yet the reality of a coming eternal judgment was just as true then as it is now. The worshiping community of Israel—Zion, heard the truth of the coming of the Lord and were glad. They knew that the worthless idols of all the other nations would one day be put in their place.

Today the “Zion” of God includes even Gentiles who have called on the Name of the Jewish Messiah. We know that the final judgment is coming, but we can rejoice already with all who believe. We celebrate the justice of the Lord. We long to see that day when Jesus is exalted and the faithful church is delivered out of the hands of the wicked.

Even now, while we await the Day of the Lord, we can experience a generous taste of the life to come through the gift of the Holy Spirit. “Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.” How then shall we live in the midst of what may be intense tribulation? We grieve, but not as those who have no hope. We tremble at the coming of the Lord, but with great thanksgiving. We hope in the Lord, and find blessing in the certainty that He will surely rescue us. “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to His holy name!”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Almighty Father, You rule over the earth. You are a mighty God. You should be feared by all men. All the earth should worship You. There is no god that men can make with their own hands. We have been made by You. We love You, O Lord. We turn away from evil. We rejoice in You.

Psalm 96

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“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” Yahweh had revealed Himself to Moses and the children of Israel. He had called them out of slavery and given them a way to approach Him in worship. He had also given them His Law that made them a distinct group—separate from all the other nations. Nonetheless, Israel's God was not just for Israel, He was the God of the entire earth. In the psalms that the Lord gave for His chosen people to sing, He placed on their lips a command for all the nations. People all over the world were told to sing to the Lord.

God had saved Israel from the Egyptians, but there was another deliverance that other people groups would also receive. They too would “tell of His salvation.” The other nations of the world had their own gods, but they were only “worthless idols” when it came to defeating the worst enemies of humanity—sin and death.

The commandments of the Lord created a very exclusive worship. God had given His people rules about who could come into His presence. The holiest place in His tabernacle was off limits to almost everyone. Yet in Psalm 96, Israel sang a song to all the “families of the peoples.” They were all to “ascribe” to the Lord “glory and strength.” They were to acknowledge publicly that the God of Israel was the singular Mover who was working His will in all things. They were invited to “bring an offering,” and to “come into His courts.” Above all they were called to admire His great holiness and to imitate His moral perfection by obeying His commandments.

Yahweh created the earth and sustained it. He called everyone all over the world to publicly testify to this truth in reverent songs of praise. They were to say with all the Israelites, “The Lord reigns!” All the nations of the earth needed to sing about Him, not only as the God who had given them every good gift, but as the Lord who would one day judge everyone with perfect equity.

The concept of a perfect divine judgment has always been very frightening. How could anyone survive, especially those who were not a part of Israel? But now great relief has come to all the tribes of the earth through the gospel of the Jewish Messiah. The Son of God has met the holy demands of God's Law for all who trust in Him.

He is coming to “judge the earth,” but those who believe in Him have much reason for rejoicing. He is bringing a perfect resurrection world with Him when He comes. Even “the trees of the forest” will “sing for joy” when Jesus returns. Our worship today is informed by our faith regarding tomorrow. All who believe His promises can join in His songs of praise. “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, we sing to You in worship day by day. You are great. The idols of the world are nothing. You made the heavens and the earth. People everywhere should praise You. The true worshiper should bring You perfect holiness. Is this not what Your Son has done for us? He has rescued us through His righteousness and His atoning death. He will come again to judge the earth.

Psalm 95

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“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!” Israel was called to worship the Lord. All the other nations had their own spiritual systems, but God's chosen people had a singular God. He was their Rock who had saved them by His mighty hand and who called them to embrace Him and to pursue Him with heartfelt obedience.

Obeying the Lord needed to begin with worship. The Lord's people were called to gather together and to sing to Him as the only God. In this public assembling they were identifying themselves with the Almighty, though others were ready to take aim at them.

The identity of Israel as the people who worshiped the Lord was essential to their existence. They were His chosen ones, but they were not permitted to ignore His call to worship. They not only needed to gather together. They needed to embrace Him with their heartfelt songs and prayers. They were to make a “joyful noise to Him.”

Israel's God was a “great God.” He was far above all the angels and rulers—a “great King above all gods.” He controlled the highest heights and the deepest depths of the earth. He made the sea and the dry land. He alone had gathered His people. He chose them, redeemed them from slavery, and delivered them from foes that were too strong for them. He was their Shepherd, and they were “the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” They were called to “worship and bow down.” They were invited and commanded to “kneel before the Lord.”

Israel's worship of the one true God had to be more than an external ceremony that could be easily forgotten when all the singing was over. God demanded a true commitment of obedience in every area of life. In earlier centuries their fathers had heard the voice of the Lord and had hardened their hearts against the Almighty. The result was disastrous. Thousands died in the wilderness. An entire generation was not allowed to enter into the promised land.

Like Israel, the followers of Jesus Christ today have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our salvation is entirely the work of the Son of God who has become the Rock of our salvation. Jesus is the Cornerstone of His church. We are called to identify ourselves with the those throughout the world who joyfully worship Him, even if they are despised and rejected by others. Our faithful attention to the Bible as God's Word is a defining sign of our sincere devotion that we “make it our aim to please Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). This is the only way of life for all who have found their rest in Jesus.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God, we sing praises to You. We thank You for the many blessings You bestow upon us. Your works of creation are deeply impressive. We are Your people. What a blessing it is to belong to You, O Lord! We repent of all our sin. We will not put You to the test. We will follow You in the way of faith and obedience.

Psalm 94

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“O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!” The Lord will punish the wicked. Wrongdoing against Him, His Law, and His people will not be ignored forever. Israel was called by God in the age of the conquest to be His agent of judgment against the Canaanites. As the history of the nation moved forward, it became increasingly clear that their most troubling enemies were among their own number. The “proud,” the “wicked,” the “arrogant,” the “evildoers” were not just other people. They were prominent among the Jews. These enemies of God among His own people oppressed the poor and murdered the weak. Then they said, “The Lord does not see.”

The God who originated the very idea of the ear and the eye can both hear and see. The Almighty knows the secret plots of evil men. When the thoughts of a man rise up against God Most High, there must one day be a reckoning.

How are the faithful to survive with integrity when the wicked seem to be winning? The Lord's disciples are called to a life of endurance and faith as they continue to hear the Word of God and obey. God will teach His people well. He is our Father, and He will discipline us and show us what it means to grow up as His holy children. The final judgment of the wicked will come. The Lord “will not forsake His people.”

There are times in the history of mankind when those who rail against God's Word are convinced that they cannot be stopped by anyone. At such a moment, the faithful man may have to stand alone in obedience to the truth. The cross of Christ was the ultimate example of steadfast righteousness in the face of overwhelming opposition. Yet on the third day, Jesus rose again from the dead. Now the church throughout the world proclaims the Word of our Resurrection King. He is our help and our salvation. When our “foot slips,” His steadfast love holds us up. “When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul.”

Evil people may seem to prosper. “They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.” Yet the Lord will always be a Rock of Refuge for those who trust in Him. He will have vengeance upon those who oppress His family.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Almighty Lord, You will judge the proud and the wicked. You will help us as we face great difficulties from foolish people who move in powerful malice against us. They have forgotten You. They have not remembered that You will defend us in the great day of trouble. You will rise up for us against the wicked. You will be with us in steadfast love. You will help us against strong foes. We take refuge in You day by day.